New Cardiac Interventional Radiography Specialist Certificate

By Brian Kleemann

College of DuPage is offering a new Cardiac Interventional Radiography Specialist
(CIRS) certificate program this fall that prepares students to work in cardiac catheterization
and electrophysiology labs.

Recently approved by the Illinois Community College Board, the program will prepare
specialists to meet new standards set by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists
effective Jan. 1, 2016. Gina Carrier, Program Coordinator of the Diagnostic Medical
Imaging – Radiography program, said the new certificate is the first formal program
of its kind in the state.

“Currently, most of the training is completed on site,” she said. “We were approached
by our health care partners to create this certificate to better prepare students
before they are hired.”

The program consists of three new courses totaling 7 credit hours: “Cardiac Interventional
Procedures and Patent Care,” “Equipment and Instrumentation in Cardiac Interventional
Radiography” and a clinical experience. Individuals who are ARRT certified in radiography
as well as radiographers currently employed in a cardiac cath lab can earn the CIRS
certificate, which is designed to be completed in one semester.

Carrier said a trained cardiac specialist have and expanded role with the cardiac
team using sophisticated equipment to create images that help physicians diagnose
cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease.

“Today’s equipment is more advanced than ever before, and it requires a high level
of skill to operate it,” she said. “Employees with this certification will require
less on-the-job training as they embark on their careers.”

For more information about the CIRS certificate program, call (630) 942-2434, (630)
942-2994 or email prolac@cod.edu.

College of DuPage Addison Center

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College of DuPage Lisle location

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